How to Make Shabby Chic Seat Cushions

A shabby chic design scheme allows you to create a space that feels as welcoming and elegant as would a space decorated with high-priced antiques but without the expense of relying solely on antiques to outfit your place. Create your own shabby chic seat cushions for your dining room chairs to offer you and your guests a little extra comfort when you visit and dine.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• 3-inch-thick foam
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Electric knife
• 1/4 yard 60-inch-wide cotton fabric in a feminine floral or damask print
• 1 yard chenille fabric in coordinating color
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Needle
• Thread

Instructions

1. Measure the width and depth of your chair with a tape measure.

2. Mark a rectangle on your piece of foam with the same width and depth as the seat using a ruler and pencil. Cut the rectangle out with an electric knife.

3. Double the width and the depth of the seat. Then, add those two numbers together plus an inch. Cut a 4-inch-wide strip of your cotton fabric to this length for the sides of the cushion's cover.

4. Cut two rectangles of chenille fabric with a width and depth 1 inch larger than the seat for the top and bottom of the cushion's cover.

5. Fold the strip of cotton fabric in half, bringing the 4-inch ends together with the wrong side of the fabric facing out. Sew the ends together with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Trim the allowance to 1/4 inch.

6. Line up one edge of the cotton fabric loop with the edges of one chenille rectangle. Line them up so the seam of the loop is aligned with one corner of the rectangle and the right sides of the two fabrics face each other. Pin the two pieces together. Repeat with the second chenille rectangle along the other edge of the cotton loop.

7. Sew around both rectangles with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Leave one side of one of the rectangles open so you can turn the case right side out and put the cushion inside the case. Remove the pins as you sew. Otherwise, you might break your machine's needle if it hits a pin.

8. Turn the case right side out through the open side. Compress the foam cushion and stuff it in the case. Adjust the case on the cushion so the corners of the two line up.

9. Fold the cut edges of the fabric in 1/2 inch along the open side and slip stitch them closed with needle and thread.

Resources

• Keyka Lou: How to Slip Stitch a Seam Closed